The Upper East Regional Acting Head of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Abel Ndego, has urged consumers, manufacturers, and retailers to pay closer attention to product safety as the festive season approaches and market activities increase.
He explained that in the bid to attract buyers, manufacturers often package and promote products in ways that may create misleading impressions about their quality or performance. Such practices, he noted, raise consumer expectations and can lead to safety concerns when products fail to meet advertised standards.
Speaking on A1 Radio, Mr. Ndego stressed the need for accurate information at all levels of the supply chain, adding that producers, distributors, retailers, and consumers must all have a clear understanding of the true characteristics of products being sold and used.
“It’s imperative that producers, distributors, retailers, and even the potential users are given accurate information about the character of products,” he stated.
He also cautioned against the widespread belief that expired products remain safe within a three-month grace period, describing the notion as unfounded. According to him, expiry dates are scientifically determined through laboratory analysis and indicate the period within which a product’s safety and quality can be assured. Once a product passes its expiry date, its safety can no longer be guaranteed.
“We’ve had a popular adage that if products expire, you have a three-month grace period. I don’t even know which parliament sat and declared that grace period,” he remarked.
Beyond expiration dates, Mr. Ndego highlighted the importance of proper storage, warning that failure to adhere to a manufacturer’s storage instructions can compromise a product’s shelf life and safety even before it expires. He explained that storage conditions directly affect product effectiveness, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector where temperature control plays a critical role.
He noted that medicines stored under proper conditions, such as in air-conditioned pharmacies, retain their therapeutic effectiveness better than those kept in poorly ventilated shops. In some cases, laboratory tests conducted by the FDA have shown that medicines stored under inappropriate conditions contain little or no active pharmaceutical ingredients, rendering them ineffective for treatment.
Mr. Ndego added that whenever a compromised batch of products is identified, the FDA recalls the entire batch from the market as a precautionary measure. Such actions, he emphasized, are necessary to protect public health and ensure that future batches meet regulatory standards.
Source: A1 Radio | 101.1Mhz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga
